Would it be cool to wake up to a sky that displayed two suns? I am trying to imagine what that would be like. What factors would have to be in check in order for life to exist on a planet in orbit of a binary star system?

When there is discussion of habitable worlds existing, which are in orbit of two stars, much of the talk immediately shifts to the images from Star Wars. The fantasy planet Tatooine, where young Luke Skywalker lived as a child, was in orbit of two stars. Yet, how real would that kind of setting actually be?

Astronomical research is revealing that planets that are in orbits of binary star systems could be commonplace throughout The Milky Way. Recent studies have revealed that two planets labeled as both Kepler 34b and Kepler 35b are in orbit of two stars. They are circumbinary planets because they revolve around two stars.

Additional information reveals that Kepler 34b and Kepler 35b are gas giants. They each are the size of Saturn. One host star of Kepler 34b has been identified as a G-type main-sequence star, similar to The Sun. The stars of the system of Kepler 35b have been identified as similar to, yet slightly cooler and slightly smaller than The Sun. Neither of these worlds is anywhere nearby, as Kepler 34b is estimated to be 4 ,900 light years away, and Kepler 35b is figured as being 5,400 light years away!

The discovery of Kepler 35b adds fuel to the notion that planets orbiting binary star systems may be common. It was during September 2011 when Kepler 16b was identified. It was declared to be the first circumbinary planet to be discovered. Now that the new Kepler planets have been identified, astronomers will be creating new classifications for these types of worlds. It is plausible to believe that circumbinary planets are common objects within our galaxy!